US2631880A - Latch structure for vehicle bodies - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1953 T VIGMOSTAD 2,631,880

LATCH STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed June 16, 1947 2 SHEETS--SHEET l March 17, 1953 T. vlGMosTAD LATCH `STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE BODIES Filed June 16, 1947 IN VEN TOR. 7733K? j/z'fg/v/aszzaa? B Y Patented Mar. 17,1953

TENT OFFICE LATCH STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE BODIES Trygve Jigrnostad, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 16, 1947, Serial N o. 754,964

Claims.

This invention relates to latch structures for vehicle bodies and particularly to the type of automobile body which is equipped with a luggage compartment in the rear of the tonneau and closure means for this compartment including an upwardly swinging deck lid and a downwardly swinging tail board. Although automobiles of this type are frequently termed station wagons, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to latch structures for vehicle bodies characterized as station wagons since the invention has general applicability to various types of automobile or vehicle bodies.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved latch structure for locking rmly in position a closure member, such as a rear deck lid, liingedly connected to the vehicle body for swinging movement to and from a closed position. The latch structure of the present invention embodies an improved keeper device cooperable, for

example, with a turnable handle lever mounted on the body within the luggage compartment which is accessible through an opening at the rear thereof. The keeper device in the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a bracket Other objects of this inventionzwill appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of a vehicle body constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section illustrating the position of the check device and locking' means when the tail board or deck lid member is in fully open position.

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the position of the parts when the tail board or deck lid member is in fully closed position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken 2 substantially through lines 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially through lines 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

ln the drawings there is illustrated an automobile body A, such as a body of the type generally referred to as a station wagon, equipped with front and rear seats and having a tonneau open from front to rear. Within the rear of the tonneau is a luggage compartment B accessible from the rear of the vehicle through an opening C adapted to be closed by means of two closure or deck lid members D and E, the latter being frequently referred to as a tail board. The upper deck lid D is hinged in conventional manner by means of hinge arms I9 to the body so as to swing upwardly from a closed position, shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, to an open position shown in Fig. ll. When the deck lid D is raised to this open. position it is supported by means of a suitable check device or strut II. The deck lid or tail board E is suitably hinged at I2 to the body below the luggage compartment opening so as to swing from an upright closed position shown in Fig. 3 to an open generally horizontal position shown in Figs'. l and 2. When the deck lids D and E are swung from their open positions shown in Fig. l to their closed positions, the lid D may be locked to the lid E by means of any conventional locking device controlled by means of a handle I3.

The lower deck lid E is supported in its open generally horizontal position, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, by means of a pair of check arm or strut devices, each of which is identical in construction and generally indicated at F. Each check or strut device F comprises, in the present embodiment of the invention, an inner link or strut member I4 and an outer link or strut member I5, the latter being preferably somewhat longer than the link Iii.

As shown particularly in Fig. 4, the inner link or strut member I4 is pivotally mounted at its upper end upon a transverse generally horizontal stud or pin I5 carried by a bracket I1 which is secured by means of screws I8 to the inner side wall of the body adjacent the edge of the deck lid opening C and beneath the rear quarter window of the body. Each bracket I1 is provided at its rear end with an embossment I'Ia recessed at I9 to receive the outer end of the stud or pin I6 which 'is upset or riveted over to anchor the stud rmly to the bracket. Also rotatably mounted upon the stud or pin I6 is the hub portion 20a. of a forwardly projecting handle 20. This handle is interposed between the end of the link I4 and the bracket embossment I'Ia, suitable washers being interposed between the parts to permit the link I4 and handle 20 to pivot independently upon the pivot stud or pin I6.

The rear end of the link or strut arm I 4 overlaps the adjacent end of the link or strut arm I and is pivoted thereto at 2 I. Rigidly attached to the forward end of the link I 5, adjacent the pivot 2 I is a retainer piece 22 which has a laterally projecting ilange 22a engageable with the upper edge of the link Ill, when the links are extended as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to retain them rigidly in end to end position.

The rear end of the link or strut arm E5 of each check device is pivoted at 23 to the projecting flange 24a of an angle bracket 24, the base of this bracket being rigidly secured, as by means of screws 25, to the inside of the deck lid E adjacent the outer edge thereof.

In accordance with the present embodiment of the invention the check device, comprising the pivotally vconnected links or strut members I4 and i5, rmly supports the deck lid or tail board member E in its generally horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the upper surface of this tail board member will lie substantially in the plane of the floor or deck of the luggage compartmentv B. When the deck lid or tail board member E is swung upwardly to closed position, the links or arms I4 and I5 will fold into juxtaposed relation as shown in Fig. 3. In accordance with the preferred embodiment cooperating means is provided upon the handle 2Q and the bracket 24 for not only locking the deck lid E in closed position but also for drawing it tightly against the body. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the projecting flange 24a of the bracket 24 is offset laterally in the direction of the` handle to provide an oiset flange portion 24h. A curved cam slot 26 is cut in the flange portions 24d and 24h so that the major portion of this slot is oiset laterally from the plane of the ilange 24a. The handle 20 is provided with a projecting shank 20h terminating in an inwardly extending latch portion 26C. The normal position of the handle 20, when the deck lid E is unlocked or in open position, is shown in Fig. 2. After this lid has been closed in the manner shown in Fig. 3', the handle 26 may be grasped and swung downwardly soV as' to force the latch portion 20c upwardly into the' cam slot 26. The shape of this slot is such as to cause the latch portion 20c of the handle to ride over the rear edge of the slot 26 and draw the lid tightly against the body. When the handle is forced fully home so as to position the latch. projection 26C adjacent the upper edge cf the cam slot 26, the deck lid Ev will be securely locked against any possibility of opening during operation of the vehicle. Manipulation of the handle 2li may be readily accomplished by reaching over the tail board or deck member E into the interior of the luggage compartment while the upper deck lid D is still in open position. Thus, with the handle 26 at each side of the 4 vehicle turned down to the position shown in Fig. 3 the lid will be rigidly locked against movement, whereupon the upper deck lid D may be swung down and latched to the upper edge of the deck lid E by manipulating the handle I3.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a luggage compartment accessible through an opening at the rear thereof, a closure member for said opening hinged adjacent the lower edge thereof to swing from an upright closed position downwardly to a generally horizontal open position, and a turnable handle mounted on the body within said compartment, the combination of a bracket mounted on the inner side of the closure member and having two laterally odset portions extending one above the other when the closure member is in closed position, and a cam slot extending from within one of said oiset portions to within the other thereof to receive an extension of said handle, the edge of said slot being engageable with said extension for locking the closure member in closed position.

2. In a vehicle body having a closure member hingedly connected to the body for swinging to and from a closed position and a lever pivoted on the body for swinging about an axis generally parallel to the hinge axis of the closure member, the combination of a keeper comprising two integral portions oiset from each other axially of said lever axis, and a cam slot in said keeper having an edge extending from one offset portion to the other and engageable with a projection of the lever for locking the closure member in closed position. Y

3. In a keeper device engageable' with a swinging lever, a keeperi bracket comprising two integral portions oiset from each other and having a cam slot extending therein from within one oiset portion to within the other to receive a portion of the lever therein in locking relation.

4. In a keeper device engageable with a latch member of a swinging lever, a keeper bracket having a projecting member adapted to confront said latch member, said projecting member hav-i ing a cam' slot adapted to' receive a latch portion of the latch member and also having a portion oset and adapted to extend toward said latch portion, and said cam slot also extending into said oiset portion of said projecting member.

5. A keeper device according to claim 4 wherein the cam slot in said projecting member provides an. outlet for said latch portion when moved out of latching position.

'IIRYGVE VIGMOSTAD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this' patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 638,845 Jenks et al. ss-- Dec. 12, 1,899 826,573 Hubbell, 4 July 24, 1906 1,024,780 Hotchkiss Apr. 30, 1912 1,331,976 Barger Feb. 24, 1920 1,412,191 Monk Apr'. 11, 1922 1,538,823- Killion May 19, 1925 1,567,867 Schrader Dec. 29, 1925 1,810,351. Hines June 16, 19.31 1,887,210 Miller Nov.- 8, 1932 1,941,432 Deering Dec. 26, 1933 2,226,072 Polack Dec. 24, 1940 2,263,065 Baldauf Nov. 18,l 1941 2,422,912 Kling June 24, 1947 2,433,169- Stephenson et al. Dec. 23, 1947

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